title: Visual diagnosis: 10-year-old girl with fever and altered mental status.
abstract: Necrotizing soft tissue infections are rare but deadly infections. Diagnosis is made clinically with a high index of suspicion. Definitive treatment includes emergency surgical debridement, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and supportive care in the intensive care unit. The initial antibiotic regimen should be broad and cover gram-negative, anaerobic, and gram-positive organisms. Increased mortality is associated with delay in operative intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Israni
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*